The crisis also puts the brakes on tax assessments: in the first two months of the year, tax revenues deriving from assessment and control activities stopped at 1.077 billion euros, down 34.9% compared to the same period last year. Alongside the amnesty on tax bills of up to 5 thousand euros, the taxman has also expanded the mesh of control over taxpayers.
On the other hand, between January and February, the ascertained tax revenues amounted to 67,660 million euros, marking a decrease of 2,920 million euros compared to last year (-4.1%). A figure strongly influenced by the explosion of the global pandemic that has engulfed Italy since March 2020: the first two months of last year, in fact, had not yet been affected by the economic and social measures adopted by the government to deal with the health emergency.
In its note, the Mef underlines that “the suspension and extension measures of the payments of tax taxes, issued during the last quarter of 2020, also influenced the revenue relating to the first two months of 2021 by modifying the usual time profile of the payments of the taxes “.
Overall, in the first two months of 2021, indirect taxes amounted to 24,802 million euros, down by 2,413 million euros or 8.9%. “The decrease in VAT revenue (-380 million euros, -2.4%) and, in particular, of the levy component on imports, which fell by 297 million euros, contributed to the negative trend – underlines the Mef – (-13.4%), partly due to the drop in oil consumption (-14.2%). The component relating to internal trade, on the other hand, showed a limited decrease (-83 million euros, -0 Among other indirect taxes, revenues from insurance tax (-49 million euros, -12.8%), stamp duty (-65 million euros, -8 , 6%) and registration tax (-21 million euros, -2.7%). Revenue from games amounted to 1,708 million euros with a significant decrease of 33.5% (-862 million euros ) “.
In February, tax revenues recorded a negative variation of € 1.741 billion (-5.3%), due to the change in direct tax revenues (-581 million euro equal to -3.4%) and that of indirect taxes (-1.160 billion euros, -7.4%). In the first two months of 2021, direct taxes amounted to 42.858 billion euros, with a decrease of 507 million euros (-1.2%). The income from personal income tax amounted to 37,966 million euros, with a reduction of 447 million euros (-1.2%), mainly attributable to the trend of withholding taxes on the income of employees in the private sector (-822 million euros , -4.5%).
Withholding taxes on public sector employees’ incomes (+411 million euros, + 2.4%) show an increase in revenue, while self-employed withholdings are substantially in line with those of last year (+4 million euros, + 0.2%). Other direct taxes include the increase in the substitute tax on income as well as withholdings on interest and other capital income (+116 million euros, + 9.2%) and withholdings on profits distributed by legal entities (+ 78 million euros, + 23.7%). IRES recorded revenues of 464 million euros (-154 million euros, -24.9%).